Toothbrush



Nov. 10, 1925. 1,561,140

A. lJ. COLEMAN TOOTHBRUSH Filed Sept. 11,5,.'1923` Patented Nov. l0, 1925.

UNITED STATES ALOYSIUS J'. COLEMAN, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

TOOTHBBUSH.

Application led September 13, 1923. Serial No. 662,437.

To all whom z't may concern.'

Be it known that I, ALoYsIUs J. COLEMAN, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of the city of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Toothbrushes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in tooth brushes, in which hair vbristles have heretofore been set to lill an elongated solid head, provided with a rigid handle extending lengthwise thereof, and also to tooth brushes having the above described form, heretofore provided with rubber bristles, which, together with a head therefor, are molded from resilient vulcanized rubber, the head being imperforate and provided longitudinally with a socket for sleeving it upon and securing it to a stiff handle of any suitable material.

Hair bristle tooth brushes of any structural form commonly in use, are subject to a number of objections, among which may be mentioned the difficulty of their manipulation without painful contact of the brush head and the bristles with the corners of the lips and the very sensitive inner tissues of the mouth adjacent the teeth and gums, when removing food from the exposed surfaces of the teeth and gums, and the imossibility of extractin food deepl seated lietween the teeth, wit out serious y painfully irritating and not infrequently lacerating the gums from being scratched and penetrated by the ends of the bristles; that such tooth brushes provide a convenient receptacle and a fertile bed for the rapid ropagation of the bacilli of disease germs rom any source, and especially bacilli resulting fromthe decomposition of food between the teeth, and not only spread their poison in the gums, but distribute it to other parts of the mouth, `throat and'body; and

that, at best, hair bristle tooth brushes are not sanitary and but few of the many using them attempt to so make or keep them.

On the other hand, rubber bristle tooth brushes, owing to the necessary resilience of their bristles, are not adapated for removing, in its entirety, food deeply seated between the teeth, but do furnish a successful means for removing food de osits from the exposedY inner and outer sur aces of the gums and teeth, for polishing the latter, and

the best possible means for thoroughly massaging the gums, without painful contact of the brush head and bristles with the lips and the very sensitive inner tissues of the eoY ing of such bacilli; that the thorough cleansing of the mouth, teeth and gums O f food deposits therein will prevent the occurrence of any and all of such diseases; and, finally, that existing diseases of the gums are curable and that the lgums may be healed and hardened by thoroughly cleansing them of all food deposits, concurrently with the application of an antiseptic and massaging them sufliciently to reach into their crevices and expel pus and congested blood therefrom, without irritating or lacerating the gums, as will be readily understood by bearing in mind that pyorrhea starts with tender, spongy, bleeding gums, followed by their receding. y

From the fore oing, it will now be apparent that a toot brush, the material, construction and form of which are such that it is adapted for cleansing the teeth of all' i food deposits, applying an antiseptic directly to infected gums, insurin the destruction of bacilli in the gums an throughout the mouth, and massaging the gums sufficiently to maintain, and, if diseased, restore rthem to a healthy condition, without eased, an antiseptic solution directly between the teeth and gums with a. force suiicient to insure the Aremoval of any 'food deposits remaining therein, following the brushing operation, and for massaging the gums and polishing the teeth, in the absence of any liability to, objectionably irritate or lacerate'the gums. l

More specifically stated, the object of my invention is a tooth brush, the brush head Vand-bristles of which are integrally formed of a frictional material, non-irritating to the gums and interior tissues of the mouth, provided with a detachable handle, and with means for supplying and .forcibly ejecting from the brushI head, between the bristles,

l brush, including a. hollowr perforated brush head and bristles formed of resilient vulcanized rubber, 'a hollow handle therefor, a rubber bulb, provided with a flattened nozzle, which brush head, handle and nozzle are frictionally respectively detachably connected, one with the other.

With these ends in view, 'my invention finds embodiment incertain features of novelty inthe construction, combination and arran ement of parts by wvhich'the said M objects an certain other objects are-attained, all as hereinafter fully 'described with reference to the accompanyingl drawings and more fully pointed out in t e claims.

In saiddrawings,- Fig. 1 illustrates, in vertical, longitudinal section, a tooth brush in which my invention finds embodiment.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal view of Said brush, partly in horizontal section.

Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken on .line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a transverse section taken on the line 4--4 of Fig. 1; and i Fig. 5 isa front elevation of the brush head and bristles detached fromy the handle.

'Similar characters'of reference indicate the same` parts in the severalgures of the drawing.

The brush head 6 of my invention preferably consists of resilient vulcanized rubber and `with suitable rubber bristles 7, integrally connected therewith, thebrush'head ein molded hollow to provide a longitudina Achamber 8 closed at its forward end with a series of oven perforations 9 for the discharge of liquid outwardly from the brush head between the bristles, there being a sufficient number of perforations for the cleansing of the bristles and for supplying a liquid for-f`c1eansing the teeth, as far as may be, by a rubber bristle tooth brush.

LThe brush head 6 is frictionally secured to a handle 10, the forward end of which projects preferabl to contact with the closed end of the brush ead and is provided with a cut-away portion 11 in open communication with the perforations 9l for the free and unobstructed discharge through the perforations of liquid forcibly supplied through the handle, preferably formed from hard rulber, but may be of other suitable materia Removably projecting into and frictionally tight in the open end of the handle is a wedge-shaped nozzle 12, the stem 13 for which is reduced, as indicated at 14, to form a seat for a rubber bulb 15, sleeved frictionlly tight on the stem, but removable there- IOm. f

In the construction of the nozzle portion, the discharge assage therefor is preferably smaller than t e passage in the nozzle stem, and; likewise, the passage in the body of the handle is larger than the discharge passage therefor surrounded by the brush head, for .the purpose of producing and directi small jets of water from the brush head to impact with the teeth and gums and particularly between the teeth, both back and front, continuously and with the greatest possible compressible force consistent with the operation of the bulb.

The purpose in utilizing friction for connecting the brush head with the handle, and the nozzle with the handle -nd the bulb, is to provide a simple and convenient means for the cleansing and renewal of these several parts and packing them within the smallest possible compass for shipment, and particularly by parcel post.

For cleansing healthfulteeth and gums, the nozzle is first disconnected from the stem and the bulb lled with a cleansing liquid, or else, if desired, with a tooth paste or other tooth-cleansing solution, this being followed by introducing the nozzle to its operative position in the handle, and during the brushing of vthe teeth compressing the bulb from time to time for directing outwardl through the bristles, jets of water, under a orce Sullicient to cleanse the teeth of food loosened by the bristles, and the bristles and the brush head from particles of food otherwise clinging to the bristles and brush head.

Then disease is present in the gums or teeth or any part of the mouth or throat, the bulb should be lled with a pronounced antiseptic solution, for not onl sterilizin the diseased tissues and teeth, ut any an all germs of disease possibly deposited from any source, and Iotherwise retained by the brlstles and brush head.

For using the tooth brush before described, containing my invention, with the several parts in their operative position, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the nozzle is first removed from the handle, and, after being filled with a cleansing liquid, a pronounced antiseptic or other solution, as may be desired or necessary, it is reinserted in the handle, followed by reciprocating the brush to contact with the teeth, as may be, at any i angle, and with any force of impact necessary for scraping food deposits from the exposed inside and outside surfaces of the teeth, and for loosening and digging out, as far as may be, deep deposits of food between the teeth concurrently with the compression of the bulb and the forcible ejection of liquid from the brush head outwardly between the teeth.

For actuating the brush, the operator grasps the stem of the nozzle between his thumb and forefinger, compressing the bulb between his remaining finger and the palm of his hand, and continues the brushing and massaging operation until all food so deposited is removed and carried away by the liquid.

If, however, there is any reason to believe that any food may possibly remain bet-Ween the teeth or imbedded in the gums next the teeth, the bulb with its nozzle is removed from the handle and, if empty, again filled, followed by projecting the flat nozzle vertically between the teeth and forcing liquid therethrough until such food deposits are removed therefrom.

It may be that in some instances it is desirable to so employ the nozzle before the brushing action, but this is not ordinarily the case, for the reason that a sufficient scraping and digging force of the bristles may be applied to the teeth and gums to cleanse them and effectively massage the gums without the possibility of irritating or lacerating them.

In conclusion, it is now to be observedfood deposits therefrom, and with a bulb having a fiat nozzle detachably connected with a hollow brush head.

Having described my invention, what Il 2. A tooth brush comprising a hollow Y brush head having ducts establishing communication between the interior thereof and the bristles, a tubular -handle having one end removably received in said head, the free e'nd of said handle being formed intov a polygonal, tapered socket, a rigidy nozzle vhaving flat faces frictionally secured within the handle socket, and a'compressible bulb connected to said nozzle.

3. A tooth brush construction comprising a brush head hollowed to provide a liquid receiving chamber throughout the major portion of its length,- ducts being provided to establish iuid communication between said chamber and the bristles, and one end of said head being open for the insertion of a handle, a tubular handle having one end flattened and slidably received in the brush head and terminatin next the end wall ofthe chamber, sai flattened end being provided with an elongated discharge outlet within the chamber, a nozzle detachably received in the free end of said handle, and a compressible bulb communicating with said nozzle.

4. A tooth brush construction comprising a. bristle carrying head provided with a chamber in the head in open communication with the bristles, said head and bristles being formed wholly of resilient vulcanized rubber, a handle detachably socketed in and terminating adjacent one end of said brush head chamber, provided with a longitudinal vpassage in open communication with said chamber, and a compressible bulb and a flat nozzle therefor removably socketed .in said handle.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 25th day of September, 1923.

ALOYSIUS J. COLEMAN. 

